August Rankings of Top 50 Retail Websites
This is an opportune time for retailers to make improvements to their websites in order that they can be fine-tuned ahead of Christmas, which is what has likely led to the significant level of movement in the table of the Top 50 UK retail sites tested in August for The Retail Bulletin. By Glynn Davis
Poor customer service will still drive away trade, no matter how good the bargains
That’s great for retailers if they offer value – and many retailers in the sector are investing in their online market place to take advantage of this. By Steve Goodheart
Money Talks - Man and mouse: the web turns men into shopaholics
Forget the old stereotype of women shopping till they drop and men doing anything to avoid visiting the local retail park: the internet is turning men into shopaholics. That’s one of the most surprising findings from the PayPal UK Online Retail Report. By Cameron McLean
Money Talks – Visa and MasterCard profits at retailers’ expense
Great financial results disclosed by Visa last week with net income increasing by a whopping 73 per cent during its third quarter. But what’s this – consumer spending down seven per cent over this same period. By Scott Thomson
Money Talks - We need payments to be an opportunity, not a cost
There are a number of articles about the cost of payments around at the moment. There’s a focus on merchant service charges and interchange, and there’s a perfectly reasonable discussion to be had about the balance of power, regulation and so forth. By Dave Birch
Online retailers fail to exploit the sales potential of their websites,study reveals
Added-value content ignored with only 15% incorporating a blog and 75% failing to include social networks links
Money Talks - Retailers are waking up to the benefits and opportunities of electronic payments.
MasterCard this year sponsored the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Annual Retail Conference for the first time - a testament to our growing relationship with the retail industry. I used the opportunity to highlight the fact that cards are an integral part of the UK retail economy and the importance of recognizing the value they can bring in terms of \'knowing your customer\'. By Hany Fam
Money Talks – Before retailers sell goods online into overseas markets they must first investigate how shoppers buy
Having worked hard to develop their online shops in the UK, a growing number of retailers are now recognising the potential in leveraging their infrastructures to sell their goods overseas. But many are not considering fully the differences in the payment behaviours of consumers in these new countries. By Mark Chirnside
Money Talks – Redefining Digital Payments
We may be in the midst of a deep economic crisis which is sending tremors across the business community, but we have also learnt from previous downturns that those who innovate will succeed. By Michael Norton
Money Talks - Plastic versus Paper
With over 70 years of history behind us, the voucher industry is well and truly established in the UK. In fact recent figures from the UK Gift Card and Voucher Association show that the industry is worth over £3.2bn, with consistent growth year on year. However, it is the changes that have taken place over this time that have shown our industry is not only dynamic but also innovative. By Yvonne West
Money Talks: Online retail from sideshow to recession-buster
Once seen as a sideshow, it’s now an essential part of Britain’s retail sector, as the announcement of the first PayPal ‘UK Online Retail Report’ last week showed. By Cameron McLean
How can retailers combat the rise in CNP fraud ?
Speakers from B&Q will provide the answers at the Loss Prevention Summit 2009. Free to attend for retailers.
Beware the backlash of using real-time interaction to drive sales
There is no doubt that offering real-time interaction is providing a ‘step change’ in e-tailers’ customer service and revolutionising the personalisation of the relationship between the two. By Steve Goodheart
Money down the drain: Washing away internal theft
“High street retail freeze-out”, “Plunge in sales adds to retailers\' woes”, “Retailers braced for \'horrible\' year”… These are just a few of the headlines we’ve seen this year highlighting the current plight of the British retail industry. By Doug Hargrove.
Money Talks – Action needs to be taken on Visa debit card monopoly
Through my letterbox has just popped a First Direct Visa debit card that replaces my MasterCard Maestro card - a move that was prompted by First Direct’s owner HSBC moving its card business from MasterCard to Visa. By Scott Thomson
US: Overstock.com and other brands optimise twitter presence
Overstock.com, DealTaker.com, and VacationRentals.com are maximising their Twitter presence and connecting with consumers through CheapTweet Stores.
View point: The end of cash ?
I think I’ve spotted an important meme. First, Willem Buiter, a former chief economist of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and former external member of the Bank of England\'s Monetary Policy Committee wrote in the Financial Times ‘Maverecon’ blog that we should: “Abolish currency…This is easy and would have many other benefits.” By Dave Birch
Avoid getting into deep water overseas
UK merchants selling goods online have had a bumper time over the past decade and are expected to continue to enjoy high levels of growth with a 13 per cent uplift predicted for this year. But even-higher growth is predicted for elsewhere in Europe and this is proving very tempting. By Glynn Davis
June Website Rankings of Retailers
To better reflect the largest and more pro-active names in multi-channel and online retail a new list of the top 50 UK websites has been created, and will be exclusively tested each month, for The Retail Bulletin. By Glynn Davis
Online set to double its share of retail sales in UK before 2012
Online retailing is set to grow by over £12 billion to £21.3 billion by the end of 2012 in sharp contrast to high street sales that are predicted to decline by over £8 billion, according to a major report from PayPal.